Diets of the Oldest Dogs in the World

November 29, 2011

Can we really extend the life of our dog? Unfortunately there is no answer, but I found some interesting articles about the oldest dogs in the world and what they ate. Along with daily exercise, the older dogs all had one thing common in their diet: the addition of natural whole foods. Another commonality is that most of the dogs were mixed breeds.

– 29 year old Bluey
An Australian Cattle Dog, Bluey ate regular meals of kangaroo and emu in his hometown of Australia.

– 29 year old Bella
Bella, a Labrador mix was claimed by her owners to have lived to be over 29 years old but there is no record of her exact birthdate (she was adopted at the age of 3). Bella’s owners claim longevity to her diet. “She has only got two teeth left so she can only have soft stuff now. So she has shredded chicken and fish and sometimes, boiled liver and best tinned stewing steak, mackerel and sardines.”

28 year old Butch
He made the “Oldest Living Dog” at age 27 in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. A Beagle from Virginia in the United States, but there are not too many stories about his diet and exercise regimen.

28 year old Bramble
A Border Collie, from Somerset, UK. Bramble’s owner credits her longevity to an exclusively vegetarian fresh diet of “rice, lentils and organic vegetables every evening.” She went on walks four times a day and even went once a week to a canine hydrotherapy pool for swimming exercises in order to heal an injured back from a previous bad fall.

26 year old Jerry
Jerry, a Heeler/Bull Terrier mix, whose owners owners were Aboriginal leaders living in the Australian outback town of Wilcannia told the press “I think it’s partly genetic, but also because he’s a fit, roo-hunting dog who used to catch a lot of emu and roo. ” Jerry’s owners also attribute his longevity to a raw, high protein diet consisting of Outback wildlife,”Jerry has grown up on kangaroo, rabbit and emu as well as scraps off the table.”

– 21 year old Chanel
The most recent oldest living dog that passed away recently, Chanel the wire haired dachshund mix kept healthy with daily exercise. Her diet consisted of boiled chicken and whole-wheat pasta to go along with her kibble.